Gordon Sheppard

This is simply the most unique and impressive book I have ever come across. It weighs in at a whopping 1.6 Kg or 3 1/2lbs. After 6 straight days of reading I feel educated, voyeuristic, saddened and have a deeper insight into Quebec history and Aquin’s literary influences. The book, 26 years in the making, is the story of Hubert Aquin’s life and ultimate death. Sheppard explicitly depicts Aquin’s life and death as a work of art with respect to a long tradition of such in literature and film. Through quotes, musical interludes and interviews, Aquin’s last violent act was a work of art by a shattered man. His life, full of tragedy (self-inflicted or otherwise), love and loss, begat several classics in Quebec Literature, namely Prochain Episode. Sheppard’s book surely merits a wide audience as does the work of Aquin. Excellent value for the $$.